Operation l'amour
by WishingDreamer5
Summary: Post KH2- 'Oh my god. We're going to die here' she thought, stranded in the middle of all the chaos... Selphie has tried many times to get his attention, but with no success. However, when she finds a strange book in the library, everything goes wrong. Soon enough, she switches from body with the one boy that makes her weak in the knees, and new adventures begin. Sora/Kai. Sel/Riku
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **_Unfortunately, I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Square Enix, or the Disney characters, only the story idea._

**Summary:** _Post KH2- 'Oh my god. We're going to die here' she thought... She's tried many times to get his attention, with no success. When she finds a strange book in the library, everything goes wrong. They change from body and new adventures begin. S./K. Sel/R._

**A/N: Just another idea I'm working on. Let me know what you think of it and if you want me to continue this story or not. The other chapters will be much longer, promise. Reviews are welcome ^_^**

* * *

"Books are always right."

* * *

**Prologue**

~ A week after the end of KH2 ~

_Triiiing! Triiiing!_

The irritating sound of the doorbell brought the daydreaming girl back to reality. She sighed. All she had been doing lately was think of _him… _He was so… perfect. So adorable. So mature, unlike his best friend, who sometimes really acted like a five year old child. Selphie giggled at that thought. No matter how Sora acted, he still was very cute, so Selphie was happy for Kairi.

"I'll go!" Selphie cried.

She opened the door.

"Hi, Selphie!" a red-haired girl greeted her cheerfully.

The girl had blue eyes. Selphie had always envied the looks of this girl. Every boy seemed to fall for her when she played with one of her long hair-strings. It wasn't really encouraging for Selphie, when nobody even noticed her. Everyone always had eyes for Kairi. It had been every day the same thing back then. In Kairi's absence, though, Selphie had changed slightly. She had become more confident and knew how to handle things.

"Who are you?" Selphie asked.

"It's me, Kairi!" the girl answered confused.

"So… I'm glad you finally found some time for me, Kai, if that's really your name. Are you sure you're her, 'cause the real Kairi doesn't have time for her friend," the girl noted.

Kairi smiled apologetically.

"Okay, I deserved that. I'm so sorry Selph, but-"

"It's okay, Kai. I'll forgive you… this time," Selphie said jokingly.

The girls decided to go for a walk. After all, it was a bright sunny day and they had a lot to catch up, since she hadn't seen each other for a year.

"You really are absent-minded, aren't you?" Kairi said after a while, when she had noticed that her friend was very quiet.

Selphie hesitated, before she asked, "Hey Kai, can you keep a secret?"

"Yeah, sure."

Selphie snickered.

"Cool. Me too."

"Selphie!" Kairi said frustrated.

"Did you know that the name Rome – or actually Roma – is reversed for amor, which means love?" Selphie said, ignoring Kairi's comment and changing the subject.

"Roma? Did I miss something?"

"You know, that city from that book I told you about before you disappeared. Roma, **la ville de l'amour**, just like Paris, duh," Selphie explained.

Kairi looked questioning at her.

"It's French for the city of love. I remember how you hated French. French is also known as a language on earth, a planet that-"

"Oh! I remember now. Such a boring name for a world with aircraft and carls. Selphie, when will you learn the difference between reality and fairytales? I mean… wait a minute, since when do you speak French? You hated it even more than I did," Kairi spoke confused.

"Those are called_ cars_, Kai_. _And to answer your question, I learned it when you were gone."

"Oh…"

They continued walking in silence.

"Hey, you didn't answer my question. Does your behavior have anything to do with a certain boy called Riku?" Kairi teased her.

Selphie blushed slightly.

"So you noticed?"

Kairi nodded.

"It's kinda hard not to notice it, since you change into a drooling zombie when you're watching him," Kairi laughed.

"I think it's time to take some action. I went to the library and I found a book that might help me to get his heart. It's called: '1001 ways to make him notice you.' Tomorrow I'll start with 'Operation l'amour.' Will you help me? Please?"

"Are you sure that book will help?"

"Of course! Books are always right."

"If you say so… Okay, I'll help you."

* * *

**Translations:**

******la ville de l'amour (French) = The city of love.**

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**A/N: Was it good? Was it bad? Let me know :)**


	2. 1 Love hurts!

**A/N: Don't worry about my other stories; I'll finish them all... eventually. XD I just need some variety, that's why I'm working on 4 stories at the same time. :P Do you know that frustrating feeling when you try almost EVERYTHING to make him notice you, but you fail again and again? Well, cheer up, 'cause you're not the only one. ;)**

**Thanks: Handwritten, XxX-SparklingEyes-XxX, SecretAgent99 (my amazing beta reader!), Turner Child, Twili-Wolfboy**

**Disclaimer: No, I do not own Kingdom Hearts or his characters in any way, only the story idea. **

* * *

**1. Love hurts!**

* * *

"I've never thought it would be so cool to be two inches taller."

* * *

~ Monday ~

'Tip #1: It's all about fashion. Actually, be sure that you've checked your hair and make-up before you go outside. Also, don't ask why, but boys like girls with high heels. Warning: DO NOT TRY THIS BEFORE PRACTICING (unless you want to break something)! Good luck, guess you'll need it, since you're reading this book.'

"Yes indeed I need it. I feel sick. Ugh, I hate Mondays! Even if it's summer vacation. It's worse than dentists. Mondays are so...is hectic the right word?"

She had never been this nervous before in her whole life. It was even worse than the first day after summer vacation, when school started. She was glad that Kairi had promised to go shopping with her. Selphie had no pumps and Kairi had a good taste. Before she would start with her plan though, she wanted to read her horoscope.

"Let's see what it says. Please let it be good news. 'You'll be under the spell of some very powerful personalities this week. As for LOVE: it looks as if your popularity will be on the increase by Friday and you'll be in demand socially. As for LUCK: Better to follow your nose and avoid being distracted.' Hmm, it seems that this book will definitely help me to get what I want, along with some extras. After all, that's what the title of the book says. Not bad. Not bad at all."

_Triiiing! Trrr-_

She quickly opened the door.

"**Bonjour mon amie!** At last," Selphie exclaimed, while she hugged her best friend. "I'm so glad you're helping me. I just couldn't do it alone."

Strangely enough, Kairi didn't really feel like hugging her back. She reacted very reluctant. Selphie pulled away.

"What's wro-"

Selphie widened her eyes. It wasn't Kairi, but Riku who was standing at her front door.

_Oops!_

She blushed. A new explosion of butterflies was flying through her body, which gave her the blissful feeling she always had when she thought of him.

"I'm sorry! I thought-"

_Wait, what am I saying? I don't feel sorry… _she thought.

"It's okay. You really are into that French, huh? By the way, have you seen Tidus? I can't find him anywhere. They say that he's looking for me," Riku asked.

"I've no idea. Why would I know where he is?"

"Well, I thought you two-"

"-No, we're not together, if that's what you want to say. I hope you'll find him. Bye, Riku."

"But-"

She slammed the door shut before he could say anything else.

"Nice job, Selphie. That was really smooth," she said sarcastically to herself.

She opened the door again and said: "I'm sor-"

This time Kairi was standing there and Riku was gone.

"Riku?" Selphie asked.

"The name's Kairi, actually. This proves that thinking of him isn't that healthy, Selph. So, are you ready to go?" Kairi asked.

"But he was just… never mind. Let's go."

* * *

"That's 20 Money, please," the woman said.

"Here you are," was Selphie's reply.

The woman gave her the change. Selphie thanked her.

"**Merci beaucoup**."

The woman smiled. Selphie decided to wear them right away.

"I'm in love with these! I'm never going to take them off! I've never thought it would be so cool to be two inches taller."

"I'm happy for you. So, now what?" Kairi asked.

"Clothes of course."

They continued walking.

"You know what really bothers me?" Selphie asked.

"No, tell me."

"I was reading a book about Greek mythology. The myths were all beautiful, but the ones who were about love... Well, they made me feel so sad," Selphie said.

"Why? What were the myths about?"

"They didn't have a happy end, like all the fairytales I've read. For example Oidipous, which means 'swollen foot' in Greek by the way. The Oracle at Delphi said that he would kill the king, his father and he would marry his own mother. The Oracle was right; it happened. He killed his father accidentally. He was allowed to marry his mother after he beat the Sphinx. He didn't know it, though. He and his mother had four children already, when he found out. Oidipous wanted to kill the monster that was called his mother and his wife. When he had entered his bedroom, he saw that the woman had commited suicide. Oidipous was banned from his kingdom by his own children. Poor Oidipous. I'm never gonna marry my dad. Well, I hope I'm more lucky."

"Wow... I don't know what to say," Kairi said shocked.

Suddenly Selphie gasped.

"Oh no, there's Riku!"

Kairi's eyes searched for the silver-haired boy. She smiled when her eyes fell on Sora. Tidus and Wakka were there too. Selphie set her hands on both her sides.

"Kairi, this isn't the time for daydreaming. I'm having a crisis here! Sometimes I really don't get you."

"I'm not daydreaming! Just be yourself. You can do this," Kairi whispered encouraging.

"I'm confident. I can do this."

"Of course you can!"

"Here we go," Selphie whispered.

She walked into the store in a very tough way. It seemed to work. She got the attention of all the boys.

_Yes! It's working!_

Click, clack. Click, clack, fsh!

"Whoa!"

At that moment she slipped. She tried to grab a rack with coats, but she fell and got all the coats on her. The boys started to laugh. Riku laughed the hardest. Selphie was ashamed. Kairi ran to her.

"Are you okay?" she asked worried.

"**Non. J'en ai marre.** I'll bring these stupid shoes back right away! It could have killed me."

"Okay, but let's get a drink first. I know a cool cafe. Come on."

Selphie didn't dare to look at the four outside, when she passed them.

The cafe was deserted, which was good, since Selphie didn't really want to be seen by anyone. They took a table next to the window. The only complaint Selphie had, were that the chairs were too uncomfortable, because they were too small. Selphie opened her bag and took a red book out of it.

"Maybe the second tip is more useful. Tip #2: Be cool when _he_'s around...Hmm...how predictable. Like I didn't know."

Kairi looked astonished at her.

"Did you bring that book with you?"

"**Mais bien sûr!** After all, knowledge is power and power corrupts. So I have to study this book hard and be evil. That's the only way to get what I want. Kairi, how's this pose? Is it cool enough? Wait, I'll climb on the table so you can see it too."

"Selphie, maybe that's not a good-" Kairi started.

Selphie stood up and climbed on the table. She just sat on the table, when the door of the cafe opened. Selphie looked up. It was Riku and the gang again. Selphie smiled and tried to take an impressive pose.

_CRRRRRACK!_

Selphie yelped. The table bent. It could not hold her weight and broke. She fell from the table, which gave the boys a new reason to laugh.

"Selphie!"

Kairi helped her to get up and whispered, "Maybe we should go."

Selphie nodded, too shocked to do something else. How many things could possibly go wrong at one day?

* * *

"Back already?" Selphie's mum asked surprised, when she heard the sound of the closing front door.

She was cooking and her back was turned to Selphie.

"…"

"Is there something wrong, hun?"

She looked up at her daughter.

"I'm going to my room," was all she said.

* * *

It was afternoon and Selphie was still in her bedroom. It had just rained. First, she had read more than 150 other tips, but now she looked at the raindrops and how some of them ran down on her window. Which one would slip and fall down first?

"Selphie, it's your turn to take Zorro out for a walk!" Selphie's mum cried.

Selphie sighed.

_Again? Stupid dog._

"I'm coming!"

_Like I have another choice._

"Whose idea was it to get a dog anyway?" Selphie murmered, when she came downstairs.

"It was yours, remember?" her mum replied.

"But it's so dark and cold and wet outside! And it's dark... and cold... and wet. Did I mention it was so cold outside? And dark... and wet." Selphie whined.

"Not my problem. You wanted a dog so you should take care of him, for better or for worse," her mum answered.

Selphie growled.

"Mum, we're not married!"

_Just great! Why didn't I get a cat? At least they can go outside by themselves._

"Zorro!"

The big brown dog barked and ran to her boss, his tail wagging.

"Just shut up and don't look at me like that."

The dog tilted his head and looked questioning at Selphie. Selphie ignored him and closed the door behind her. She walked very carefully, trying not to slip again. One slip a day was more than enough, was her opinion.

"You're lucky you're just a dog, you know? You don't have to wear pumps to get some attention. You don't fall from tables and get bruises all the time."

Zorro looked at Selphie and barked twice.

"Look at me. I'm talking to my _dog. _Like he knows what I'm saying. I guess I really am getting desperate."

She sighed. Maybe she shouldn't be this depressive, since it was only her first and second attempts that had failed. She had 999 more chances, right? And every day was a new opportunity to make her dreams come true. She decided to forget it. Her horoscope had promised her to stand in the spotlights before the end of this week and it was only Monday. Besides, everyone had a bad day sometimes. She looked around her. And of course, she saw Riku again, along with Tidus and Wakka.

_My third chance today to make him notice me. And there are no tables here, plus no rack full of coats, so there's nothing that can go wrong... I hope. Here we go._

She lost her interest in Zorro. Just when she thought about how to approach Riku, Zorro decided to leave her all alone and run away. That made the girl return to reality.

"Huh? Zorro! Come back now!"

She started chasing him.

_Man, I'm glad I'm not wearing my pumps._

Then it happened: she slipped again and fell on her bottom, right in front of Riku. One moment he was looking dumbfounded at her. Then he started to laugh. Tidus and Wakka did exactly the same.

_God, not again! How embarrassing!_

Riku bent and helped Selphie to get up. Selphie slipped and almost lost her balance again.

"Wow, be careful! I've never seen you falling this much in less than twelve hours. This is not really your lucky day, is it?" he said laughing.

"Nope, not really. And now it'll cost me five years to find my dog," Selphie said sighing.

She almost started crying when she thought about it. She didn't expect Riku to help her get up, but she was glad he did it.

"Don't worry. It can happen to anyone." He hesitated for a short moment before he added, "Let's find your dog first. The name's Zorro, right?"

"Uh, yeah!"

She didn't expect him to know Zorro's name, since she had had this dog for only three months. Did he really want to help her find Zorro?

"Well, see ya later, guys," he said. "Come on. He can't be that far."

_Wow_, _I'm so glad to have a dog!_

* * *

**Translations:**

**Bonjour mon amie! (French) = Hello, my friend!**

**Merci beaucoup (French) = Thank you very much**

**Non. J'en ai marre (French) = No, I'm tired of it.**

**Mais bien sûr! (French) = But of course!**

* * *

**A/N: I haven't had French for more than a year... I'm glad it's only Monday. Selphie has loads of time to get what she wants. So what did you think about it? Push the review button. You know you want to. ^_^**


	3. 2 The library

**A/N: Yay, the second chapter's done! :D I did not want to write about every day of the week, because I thought that maybe you would get bored with Selphie's 655th attempt to get what she wants. Enjoy. :)**

**Thanks: Handwritten, Shadow WolfBoy, Turner Child, SecretAgent99, for beta reading this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: Nope, I still don't own them.**

* * *

"Well, well. Look who's here. _The village idiot_."

* * *

**2. The library**

~ Thursday, 10:58pm ~

"Aaaaaaaargh!" Selphie yelled into her pillow, frustrated for the third time, but the sound was muted. "I feel so miserable! Why is it that just when I think that everything will be alright again, I manage to mess up my whole life?"

Her hands turned into fists when she thought of what had happened fifteen minutes ago. One of the tips, tip 753, had said that she had to tell him about her feelings. That was what she had done.

She had walked up to him and cried, "I love you. I've always had and I always will!"

He had turned around and smiled, just to let her show that he wasn't her Riku. It was the creepy guy next door who just happened to be her new stalker. Unfortunately, he had worn the same coat as Riku, which was why she had thought...

She started to count from one to fifty very slowly, while concentrating on her breathing and massaging her forehead.

"**Pourquoi**? Why is it always me?"

Maybe music would make her forget all this. She turned her radio on.

_"-You should let me love you. Let me be the one who-"_

"Right. Other channel," Selphie growled.

_"-Love is in the air-"_

"Oh yeah?"

_"-Just the two of us-"_

"Not interested. This is so wrong. What happened to all the songs I liked?"

_"-I'll find a boy for a kiss. Who knows, maybe he'll be my prince-"_

"In your dreams!"

_"-Do you believe in love after love?-"_

"Nope."

_"-Imagine me and you-"_

"No thanks."

_"-Love is like a rainbow. Love will lift you up and let you-"_

She felt like she wanted to grab her radio and throw it out of the window.

_Maybe that's a bad idea. I don't have any money to buy another one..._

She managed to calm down a little.

"Ugh! Never mind already! Why is everything always about love?"

She got up to get her diary. Maybe that would help her to feel a little better, although she had her doubts. The last time she had written something in it was almost a week ago.

_**Chère journal**,_

_**Je ne sais pas** where to start. Today feels like **jour** 367 and I'm still not further... Ugh, this is so frustrating, not to say humiliating! What the hell is wrong with me? Why isn't anything working? Is he blind? Am I invisible? Or maybe both? Maybe, je ne sais pas._

_I'm getting the terrible feeling that something is terribly wrong with that stupid book. Maybe it's cursed... or worse! You know what, it wouldn't surprise me at all, since I've got bad luck ever since I've done what it said. Today I would say that my life is like a book without an ending. Maybe it's better to bring that stupid book back to the library, before I break my bones._

_**Je pense que je vais au lit**. Goodnight._

Not that she fell asleep. All she did was tossing and turning all night.

* * *

~ Friday, 2:47pm ~

The sun shined, the wind sang a beautiful song, while the trees danced. Everyone seemed to be content and happy. Except for Selphie. She experienced a major depressing mood. Probably because she was so tired. Tired of everything.

Then someone knocked on the door, just when Selphie wanted to leave the house.

_Mark my words, there's no way I'm going to open that door. What if something goes wrong... again?_

She started to walk away.

"Selphie, open up! It's me, Kairi!"

"Oh!"

_Well, that changes everything of course._

Selphie immediately ran to the door and opened it.

"Hey Kai, come in. What's up?"

Kairi came in. She had gotten the message that the always happy Selphie wasn't in a good mood today. She held up something in her hands. The Daily Newspaper.

"Oh, thanks, you've brought the newspaper with you."

Selphie took the paper, before Kairi could even blink.

"No, that's-" Kairi started, but stopped when Selphie's eyes widened.

She was too late. Selphie saw her picture was on the front page. She sat on a broken table and looked perplexed right in the camera. The title above her picture was written in bold letters. It said, '_Another village idiot?'_

_What the heck?! I don't remember I saw cameras that day..._

"Selphie, are you... okay?"

_For such a smart girl she does ask stupid questions sometimes. What does she think?! Of course I'm not okay! Would she be okay if this had happened to her? I don't think so!_

Kairi held her breath. This was exactly what she wanted to hide for Selphie. Selphie didn't answer and started to read. The frown on her forehead grew bigger and bigger as she continued reading the article. She could not hide her fear and sadness for her friend.

"Eh... Selphie?"

"This... it is a disaster! Everyone thinks I'm crazy! But my horoscope said..."

She got up to get her horoscope.

"Look, here it says, '_it looks as if your popularity will be on the increase by Friday and you'll be in demand socially.'_"

"Hey, that's exactly what happened, actually. I mean, everyone is talking about you and you're in the Daily Newspaper, so..." Kairi started.

Selphie thought about her words. It did make sense.

"And the book's called '1001 ways to make him notice you.' He did notice me, but it wasn't really what I wanted to happen..." She hit herself with her hand on her forehead. "God, I've been so stupid!"

"It's not your fault, Selph. You know what they say: 'People do the strangest things when they are in love.'," Kairi said.

"Guess you're right. Well, I'm going to return this book first, before things get worse." She sighed and added, "Love is stupid..."

"But we don't love with our brains, do we?" Kairi said laughing.

* * *

The library was deserted. It seemed that she was the only one who was in this building right now. Even the librarian Mrs. Olivia, a58 years old sullen lady with grey hair, was nowhere in sight. It wasn't that bad. Selphie always felt uncomfortable when she was around because the lady sprayed everyone with her saliva when she hissed that they had to be silent. That was why nobody went to the stale smelling library. Selphie remembered the first time she had met her. She was six years old and she had come here with Tidus, Wakka, Kairi, Sora and Riku.

"Hmm... She reminds me of Auntie Claudine," Wakka had whispered once.

Selphie didn't get it. She had never met Auntie Claudine before, but everyone who knew the lady admitted that she was so nice and funny.

"Poor Auntie Claudine," Sora had spoken.

After those three words Mrs. Olivia had appeared behind a bookshelf (She never made noise when she moved. It was like the wind was on her side, so she surprised everyone when she suddenly appeared next to her victim.), and had hissed. Her fountain of saliva had done its job again.

"I think you mean: Poor Uncle Alfred!" Wakka had whispered again.

Riku and Tidus had snickered.

"Eeeew!" Sora had said aloud, which was the cause of another free shower.

This time it was also all over Riku.

"Dude, that is so... disgusting!" was Riku's opinion, who sat next to Sora.

He got up and sat down next to Tidus, where he thought he would be safe. Selphie was just too shocked and frightened to say anything. Her nightmares of Mrs. Olivia said enough.

"Yeah, tell me," Wakka whispered.

"That's why nobody likes to sit next to Sora when we're here," Tidus had whispered.

"Hey!" Sora started.

"**Silenciooo!"** the furious librarian had yelled.

Everyone used their book as a shield against the liquid, but Sora was too late.

"Yuck!" Sora whispered.

Kairi had giggled, but stopped immediately and had swallowed when she saw how Mrs. Olivia's eyes narrowed. After that she had looked very pale and was quiet for the rest of the day.

_No wonder Mrs. Olivia has no children. She doesn't even like them. That would explain why she's always so grumpy; she doesn't have any children, so she doesn't know how cute they can be. Then why does she work here? Nobody forced her to come and work here. She's pretty bizarre if you ask me. _

_What will she do in her spare time?_

_Is she married?_

_Why doesn't anyone know anything about her?_

There were many questions about her, but nobody dared to ask the scary librarian. There was something about her that scared the living daylights out of all the civilians. She was so mysterious.

Selphie smiled. She sure missed those good old times, when things weren't that complicated. The library was enormous. People could get lost easily when they were here for the first time. She walked along the high, dark oak shelves, until she reached the part where all the books about love were. The silence around her made her feel uneasy, like something unpredictable could happen at any moment. The blue-white light that the high windows filtered made that feeling worse. The only thing she heard were her own echoing footsteps.

_...Click...Clack...Click...Clack..._

The thought that she was all alone here really scared her, but not as much as the thought that she was not alone at all, that someone was hiding behind those bookshelves, watching her, waiting on the right moment to appear behind her and then grab her and...

She swallowed and tried to think of something else. She had watched too many horror movies lately. Her parents were right after all; those movies were not healthy. Her mind wandered off to much older memories, while her fingers slipped slowly over the back of all the books. Suddenly she felt a rather large empty space between two books. She looked surprised to the space, which wasn't empty. There was a book. It was small and had a purple-blue cover. There were no pictures or other lettering on the back. It made her curious. She grabbed the book and turned it in her hands.

"Hmm, what do we have here?"

The title said 'Spreuken, bezweringen en betoveringen voor gevorderden.' That was quite strange. Why was a foreign book in this section, the section of English books? The librarian made sure that everything was all right every day before they closed the library? How remarkable that she had never seen this book before, since she had taken books from these shelves for months now.

"So it must be a new book? Cool."

She opened the book at a random page, page 357 and read aloud, "Mensen doen de meest vreemde dingen als ze verliefd worden. Bij sommigen is het gedoemd te mislukken. Als je het volgende stukje hardop voorleest, volgt er een aardbeving. Er zal een gebeurtenis plaatsvinden, die voor jou en je geliefde een hele openbaring zal zijn:

We ruilen van lichaam en staan zij aan zij

Zo is hij misschien wel voor eeuwig van mij.

Laat mijn wens in vervulling gaan

Bij de eerstvolgende volle maan.

Lees ik de rijm op de volgende bladzij voor

Dan gaat de lichaamsruil niet meer door."

Selphie stopped.

"Okay... I didn't understand the half of what it said. I guess it's a Dutch poetry book, or something. Let's see, misschien means maybe. Voor eeuwig is forever. Mijn wens means my wish... Hmm, I'd better write it down."

She got a pencil and a piece of paper and wrote down what she knew.

We ... from ... and ... ... ... ...

So he is maybe forever mine.

... my wish ... ... ...

... the ... full moon.

Read I the rhyme/fresh ... ... next/following ... ...

... ... the ... not anymore ...

Selphie sighed.

"Whatever."

She put the book back in the shelf. At that moment she heard how someone shut the door.

_That must have been the wind who shut the door. Nothing to worry about._

She changed when she heard footsteps coming nearer and nearer.

_Click. Clack. Click. Clack._

That could not be the wind... or her imagination. Now what? She looked around, trying to find a place where she could hide. In her haste, she bumped into a chair and fell on the ground. That made a lot of noise.

_Shit! That hurt. Now he knows someone's here. Great job, Selphie. Great job._

She held her breath. It was silent. Too silent...

"Hello? Is there anyone?" she heard a familiar voice.

_Oh, it's just Riku, _she thought relieved.

"It's me, Selphie."

Riku's head appeared first. He smirked.

"Well, well. Look who's here. _The village idiot_."

Selphie blushed.

"Shut up."

She felt like crying.

"Hey," Riku said, when he noticed how sad she was looking, "I was just kidding. I didn't mean to hurt you or anything."

"Yeah, sure."

"No really, I'm-"

A huge earthquake made him shut his mouth. Everything began to move back and forth. Books fell down from the shelves. The ground shook and trembled.

"An earthquake?!"

"I don't know but whatever it is, we've got to head for the door!" Riku yelled.

Selphie nodded. It was then that she saw how one of the bookshelves moved back and forth.

"Riku, watch out!"

* * *

**Translations:**

**Pourquoi? (French) = Why?**

**Chère journal (French) = Dear diary**

**Je ne sais pas (French)** = **I don't know**

**jour (French) = day**

******Je pense que je vais au lit (French) = I think that I'm going to sleep**

**Silenciooo! (Italian) = Silence!**

**I won't translate the Dutch part yet, because you will figure out what it means later (that is a part of this story). Also, I only translate the words Selphie knows, to make it look more realistic.**

**

* * *

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**A/N: I hope you guys have enjoyed this chapter. I don't think I'll update that often anymore, since school will start very soon (yup, the same old excuse again). That means that I'll get swamped by homework and other (boring) stuff. Oh, by the way: I'm also planning to add some German and Dutch words here. Let me know what you think about it. And don't worry, I will make a list of all the words I'll use, so you'll know what it means.**


	4. 3 Changes

**A/N: I'm really sorry for the late update, but what can I say? School is annoying. XD Here's chapter 3. ;)**

**Thanks: SecretAgent99 (who has beta read this chapter. Thanks for your great work!), Handwritten, wiseman99, Turner Child, XxX-SparklingEyes-XxX, CattyGothLoli and oddishh.  
**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Kingdom Hearts (darn it...)**

* * *

_"We were almost buried alive under all those heavy books and all you can talk about is Wakka's foot in your ass?!"_

* * *

**3. Changes**

Riku dodged the shelf just in time. It was certainly not much harder than fighting and defeating all those heartless and nobodies.

"Man, that was really close!" he cried.

_Yeah, too close. Oh my god. We're going to die here! I don't want to die yet. I'm far too young to die. I'm just in the prime of my life! I haven't had my first kiss yet, I haven't finished school. There were so many things I wanted to do... Gah, I'm doomed. I'm really doomed. Well, at least I die with the one I love, although I am not quite sure if that makes the situation more bearable..._

They headed for the door very carefully and tried not to fall over all the books, bookshelves, chairs, tables and pieces of glass, scattered all over the floor.

_Just like I thought, I'm really really real- Whoa! We made it to the door! Unbelievable; we just made it! Say yay to the power of love!_

They reached the door.

"You okay?" Riku yelled.

Selphie nodded. Though when she did, the earthquake stopped at once, just as sudden as it had started. In the silence that followed, Selphie could hear how hard her heart was beating and how they both were panting.

"What? That's all?"

He almost sounded disappointed, almost like he had expected more action and danger, unlike Selphie, who was more than glad that this was all over.

_Whoa, we really survived! And who knows, maybe I can laugh about all this after a year or... ten._

"Well, what did you expect? That it would go on for hours? What are you doing here anyway? You hardly ever come to the library," Selphie asked.

"I forgot my coat here yesterday and I wanted it back. But eh... never mind. I don't think I will be able find it anymore."

_Well, that explains why my stalker had the same jacket as Riku all of a sudden... Wait a minute, are my brains trying to tell me that that guy is stalking Riku too?! What the-_

She shook her head. Some of her thoughts did not make any sense. This thought was one of them.

"Eh, let's get out of here, before we'll be buried alive under all these books," Selphie suggested.

"Not a bad idea. I hope everyone's alright."

"Yeah, me too."

When they came outside, they could not believe their eyes. There was nothing different about the surroundings. There was no sign that indicated that, not more than two minutes ago, an earthquake had taken place. Everything looked exactly the same as a few minutes ago. Everyone they saw was laughing, enjoying the good weather and having a good time.

"How is this possible? Aren't people supposed to run away like maniacs, all in a different direction, not really knowing what they are doing?"

Selphie shrugged and answered, "That's what I would do."

"Then why is nobody panicking, like they should do in situations like this?" he mumbled.

"Believe it or not, but I have no idea."

At that moment Tidus and Wakka walked over. It looked like they were discussing something. It seemed more like quarreling actually, because Selphie could hear everything they yelled at each other.

"You're unbelievable!" Wakka cried.

"Just admit it, that was not my fault. I've got a lot of ideas. Trouble is, most of them suck. I didn't know this would happen!" Tidus said, defending himself.

Wakka snorted contemptuously.

"Diagnosis: you suck!"

"No I don't!" Tidus cried.

"Yes you do!" Wakka replied.

"That's NOT true!"

"Yes, it IS!"

"Let's ask Tidus and Wakka. Come on," Riku murmured.

Selphie followed him. Maybe it was not a good idea to disturb those two in the middle of a fight_. _She didn't say it out aloud; because she was sure Riku wouldn't even bother to listen to her. If she had one Munny for every time those two were fighting, than she would be the richest person of Destiny Islands. Unfortunately, it didn't work that way, so all she could do was daydreaming about that moment.

"Are you guys okay?" Riku asked with some nonchalance in his voice, as if everything was okay and this was just another ordinary day.

He didn't sound worried at all.

_What is it with guys like Riku and not showing their emotions?_

"Seriously, do I look like I'm okay?"

"I guess so... Why do you ask?" Wakka replied calmly.

"Speak for yourself, will ya?" Tidus murmered irritated.

Riku exchanged a significant glance with Selphie.

"Haven't you felt that huge shock?" he asked.

The two boys looked at him strangely.

"Dude, what are you talking about? The only shock I felt was Wakka's foot on my butt, after we lost that blitz ball game, which wasn't my fault!"

His last words were meant for Wakka, who ignored him completely.

"What are _you _talking about? Was that supposed to be a joke or something? The library almost collapsed. We were almost buried alive under all those heavy books and all you can talk about is Wakka's foot in your ass?!" Selphie shouted.

"Apparently..." Wakka answered calmly.

"That is just so... you!" Selphie cried angry.

Why didn't they care what had happened? They didn't seem to believe them.

"Hey, that did hurt, you know?"

"Oh, so this time it was because of the books for a change? Where was Mrs. Olivia then?" Wakka asked, laughing sarcastically.

The conversation went on like that for a long time. The only thing they could conclude was that Tidus and Wakka had not noticed that there had been an earthquake. So it had no further use to continue that conversation. Riku angrily crossed his arms across his chest. He was obviously wasting his time with those two. He almost lost his temper. Selphie felt sorry for him, even though she admitted that it was pretty funny. She was used to this, for she spent more time with those two than Riku did. Yet she could also imagine how much Tidus and Wakka worked Riku on his nerves.

"You know what? Never mind already. By the way, you both need mental help."

After these words he furiously started to walk away. Selphie quickly followed him, trying not to giggle. She'd rather be with him than with a furious Wakka.

"What? Only a fool would suggest such a foolish piece of absolute foolishness!" Wakka yelled.

Riku just ignored him. He could tell that something was very wrong. Perhaps it had something to do with the letter of the king? He had warned them that something dark and dangerous was going to happen. Soon enough, further notice would follow. Riku expected that the earthquake was caused by heartless and nobodies. That was impossible though, since nobody had seen those creatures here yet. So it could be something worse...

"What the hell is happening here?" Riku asked.

Once again Selphie did not know. Strange things were happening on this island lately. First, the disappearance of Kairi, Sora and Riku. Then the cursed book of Selphie and now this. All these events were unexplainable.

* * *

Riku ran as fast as he could to Sora's house. Selphie had told him that she wanted to go home... or something like that. In fact, he had not heard what exactly she had said, but he had noticed her sudden absence. Sora and Kairi had the know this. The King had asked them to keep their eyes open for any strange phenomena. This was clearly a strange one. Sora's mother, a cheerful woman with twinkling eyes and a sweet smile, let him inside. Riku had a lot of respect for her. Raising up a child like Sora on her own, could not have been quite easy in his eyes. Yet, she was still the warm, kind and caring person she used to be before her husband died a long time ago.

"Riku, how nice to see you again! Sora and Kairi are upstairs."

He thanked her and ran upstairs. He took two steps at a time. He stopped in front of the door, his hand resting on the doorknob. He didn't know if it was safe enough for him to go inside, since he knew about the feelings they both had for each other. He knew nothing had happened between them yet, but that was just a matter of time. Or, with other words; all Sora had to do was gathering his courage and admitting his love for her. The last thing he wanted to happen, was stepping inside, while he was telling her how much he loved her. Or worse, seeing how his two best friends were kissing. That would be too embarrassing. He put his ear against the door and listened nervously.

"Stop it, Kairi. You're just like my mother!"

"That's because we both know what's good for you!"

He sighed. They were bickering again. At least that was safe enough to enter the room, in his opinion. He opened the door.

"Guys, there you are! I was looking for you two everywhere! What are you two lovebirds bickering about now?"

He entered the room. A red haired girl was sitting on the floor, next to a boy with brown, spiky hair. They had both been looking at an object on the ground. Riku could tell it was a photo album. The boy turned and grinned. The girl did the same. They were both blushing.

"Oh, it's nothing. Kairi thinks I need a haircut. Sheer nonsense, 'cause your hair's even longer!" Sora pouted.

"Yes, my hair's longer, but at least it isn't getting in front of my eyes like yours," Riku said smirking.

"There, you see? Even Riku thinks I'm right!"

Sora rolled his eyes.

"Whatever."

"Talking about changes, don't you think it's about time to clean up your room? It's such a mess here, I can't even see your white carpet," Kairi noted.

"What? I have a white carpet in my room?"

"I don't think it's white anymore. Anyways, you have to come with me right now. It's more important than cleaning your room."

* * *

~ 21:57 pm ~

Selphie was reading 'Ilias,' the favorite book of her mother, for the first time. She did not want to, but she had no choice, since she was so unbelievable bored. She hadn't got a book from the library and she really needed some distraction. The book didn't really help her to set her mind off of things. Ilias was about the last 52 days of the Trojan War and for some reason that book made her feel uncomfortable. Normally she liked reading books. She didn't know why, though. Selphie decided that she had read enough for today. Maybe some sleep would be better for now.

* * *

~ 22:13 pm ~

Riku lay in his bed. He couldn't fall asleep. From his bedroom window he could see the beautiful sky and the many stars. He paid no attention to it, though. He had too much on his mind. He thought about a few hours ago, in the library.

"So this is the mess you wanted to show us? Riku, this place is so much tidier than Sora's bedroom!" Kairi had said.

"Hey!"

"But... I... There really had been an earthquake, I swear!"

He didn't understand. He had seen with his own eyes how bad it all looked. No one could clean up the library that fast. You needed magic for that. Maybe even magic was not enough to get that place in its old state.

"I think it was just a dream. Don't you think we all had to feel _something _when there had been an earthquake on this Island?" Sora had noted.

In Riku's head, it happened all over and over again. He could not stand the fact that his two best friends had not believed him. They had thought that he had made it all up! What kind of friends are they? What was worse, was that he had still not found his coat. Everything in the library was in its place, except his coat. He sighed and turned to the other side, away from the window. The light of the full moon annoyed him immensely. This would be another long, long night.

* * *

It was midnight. The full moon was shining down on the islands, along with the twinkling stars. It caused a peaceful sight, but it also made everything look quite spooky. The crickets confirmed with the sounds they made once again that it was night, while the moving sea reflected the light of the moon. It looked like a beautiful glistening blanket in the dark and cold night.

Selphie was having strange nightmares. The bed sheets had tangled around her legs, because all she did was move. The very same thing was with Riku. None of them would remember what the dreams were about as soon as they would wake up. Luckily, the night was rather long, because as soon as they would both wake up, their world would officially stand on their heads and get a very different turn. It would get tougher than ever, for both of them. Now, they still had a few hours rest, albeit that serenity would not be for long.

* * *

Selphie woke up by the sound of the singing birds and the sunlight. She felt so different today. Almost like she was another person, or like she was reborn. She felt great! Ah, this would definitely be another great day in her life. She smiled and glanced over to the clock on her wall. It was half past eight. A great time; not too early and not too late. She stretched and opened her eyes. Slowly, she rose up and just when she wanted to walk to the bathroom, she felt how cold the floor was. Wait a minute, didn't she have a carpet in her room? She looked down at the floor. Her carpet, it was gone! How the hell was that possible? She looked around her and realized that this wasn't her own bedroom she was in!

"Where the hell am I? Whose bedroom is this? Have I been drinking?" she whispered.

Nah, she didn't even have a hangover, so that was out of question. But then again, how did she get here? Just as she was about to investigate the room, her eyes fell on a mirror. She froze. Aquamarine eyes were looking dumbfounded yet shocked at her. Her dark blonde hair was replaced with long, messy, silver colored hair. And heck, she was muscular! This wasn't her, who was looking at her. She started to scream.

* * *

**A/N: The first time I had experienced an earthquake, was the one in Italy, in April 2009. I thought it was a drunk guy, banging on every door of the hotel in Rome. XD Yeah well, it was kinda late, I was sleepy, exhausted and too lazy to go look what was happening. I'm glad I didn't know it was an earthquake at that time, otherwise I would have freaked out. :P**

**Alos, if you have any suggestions for the story, then I'd love to hear it. :)**


	5. 4 Dracula and braids

**A/N: Yay, another chapter! You didn't expect that, did you? :P I think things will get a little bit more interesting from now on, so without further delay, here's chapter 4. Enjoy. ;)**

**Thanks: SecretAgent99, for beta reading this chapter, and all the readers and reviewers. :D**

**Disclaimer: *sigh...* Nope, I don't own KH.**

* * *

"Selphie, what are you doing? You're scaring me."

* * *

**4. Dracula and braids **

What had happened to her beautiful hair? She wanted it back, now! What was she doing here in Riku's body anyway? How did that happen?

Wait a second, did that mean that Riku was in her body and in her bedroom right now? As soon as she thought about that, she started panicking and screaming again. Who knew what he would do right now. What if he saw... That would be a disaster! Suddenly she felt a rather painfully smack on the back of her head.

"Ouch!"

She turned and saw that Julian, Riku's older brother, was standing next to her, shirtless and his muscular arms crossed. His long - but not as long as Riku's - silver colored hair was also messy. According to his smirk, he was up to no good. That attractive smirk made him look even cuter, though. How was possible that Riku's whole family looked so unlikely, extremely, breathtaking handsome?

_Stay focused and stop drooling at once, Selphie. Julian would be scared to death if he found out that his younger brother thought he looked hot and Riku would kill me, or at least try to, as soon as he finds out, that's for sure._

"Hey, that hurt, you know! What in Paopu's name was that for?!" She yelled frustrated, noticing that even her voice was sounding like Riku's.

"I could ask you the very same, you know? Oh wait, let me guess, it's your hair again, isn't it? I agree, it looks pathetic, like always."

He started to laugh evilly.

_Whoa, the way he laughs... it makes me think of Dracula... sort of. Um... did I miss something? I always thought that Julian was such a sympathetic person. Guess I was terribly wrong about that then._

"You'd better watch out. Maybe Selphie has planned to visit you today. What will happen if she sees you like this? I guess her hair will stand upright too."

He started to laugh again. Selphie felt how she started to blush.

"Oh, just shut up," she mumbled.

_What was that supposed to mean? It didn't really sound like a compliment._

Selphie thought of a good comeback, something Riku would say. When she couldn't think of any good one, she used plan B. She grabbed the first thing she could find - which was a wooden sword - and threw it at Julian's head. Julian saw what she wanted to do and ran quickly to the door. The wooden sword hit the closing door, causing it to break. She heard how Julian walked away, still chuckling. Selphie sighed.

"Ugh, what a creepy jerk! Poor Riku. He's the one who has to live with the living Dracula. I've got to find him."

"Find who?"

Selphie's heart skipped a beat. She quickly turned around. Sora climbed through the window and entered the room, while observing her. He acted like it was a daily routine for him.

"Who's Dracula, a new friend I don't know about?"

There was silence for a moment as Selphie continued to stare at Sora, completely dazed.

"A good morning to you too, sleepyhead," Sora said laughing.

His eyes were twinkling, as always when he was in a good mood.

"Eh, why did you use the window? We also have a door, you know?"

Sora gaped at her. Normally, she would have really laughed about it, but now she knew it was not a good sign.

"Riku, I'm doing this for almost ten years, because I am doing your mother a favor. Now she doesn't have to walk fifty times a day to the door, only to open it for me. I don't think she would like me that much anymore, don't you think?"

"Oh, right. I remember now, hehe. Maybe you should ask her for the house key. You would do me a favor, because then I wouldn't get a heart-attack fifty times a day, only to realize it's you who's torturing me again and again. I don't think you would like me that much anymore if I did the same to you, don't you think?" Selphie said, in an attempt to sound just like Riku, who had the habit of teasing everyone in a very sarcastic way.

"Oh haha, that's very funny," he said, while rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, I know. Maybe I should become a comedian. I could get a lot of money. Now, if you'll excuse me, I would like to change clothes."

"Oh! Yes of course. Meanwhile I'll go downstairs. I really am hungry. See ya!"

He closed the door behind him and left the very confused Selphie all alone. She quickly opened the wardrobe. That was the first mistake she made, because as she did, all the clothes fell out of the wardrobe, on the floor.

"There's no way I'm going to clean up your mess, Riku! How hard could it be to fold your clothes neatly, like every girl does? Why are all guys so lazy? If I may believe Kairi, Sora's room is even worse off. Wait till I tell her how bad it is here..."

As soon as she had done her daily routines, (combing her hair took a lot of her time. _What was Riku doing in his sleep that his hair became so tangled up?_) she looked down through the window. She had to find Riku. If she would go to the kitchen, then Riku's parents would notice the strange behavior of their son and Sora would want to go with him to her house. The only solution was escaping through the window. There was only one problem: she had a fear of heights.

_Oh, toughen up, Selphie. If Sora can do this, then you can do it too. You have been through worse things. The trick is simply not to look down..._

She used the drainpipe to get down. Once they felt the ground under her feet, she put it on a run, not taking the time to be relieved.

* * *

_Oh god, not again!_

From the little indent of sunlight seeping through the curtains, Riku could already tell that a new day was dawning. A new day, full of surprises, a new beginning. He sighed. He really hated it when the sun was disturbing him in his sleep. It happened every morning.

_Stupid curtains._

He made a mental note to pin the curtains together with some pins today. He did not want to get up yet. Yet something seemed to be completely different and out of place that he could not quite put his finger on. Was it the light that seemed to shine in a different way in the room? And why did he feel so... light today? Almost as though he had lost five pounds since last night. Nah, that would be impossible. When he got the message that he would not fall asleep anymore, he opened his eyes slowly. Okay, time to get up. As soon as his feet touched the floor, he started to wonder how it came that it was so warm. He looked down, only to find a pink, wooly carpet. What was it doing here? He didn't have any carpet. Quite confused, he walked around and looked at all the girly things in the room, not feeling the slightest bit of sleep anymore. Disgusted with the choice of color and items, he wondered who would possibly like such a room, where your eyes started to hurt.

_Pink carpet... make-up... posters of muscular, good looking guys and... a picture of myself?!_

What the hell was a picture of himself doing in this room? Of course, he could not deny that he was handsome, but he was not that arrogant to put an image of himself on the walls of his bedroom! He had the tendency to grab the photo and tear it in 1000 pieces. One thing was sure, someone was obsessed with him.

_Eeew, this is definitely not my room. Where the hell am I? What's happened? Is this one of Julian's stupid pranks? Because if it is, I might just kill him today._

He had the strange feeling that someone behind him was watching him. Before he could figure out who that could be, this early in the morning, he felt something glomp him first and then start to tickle his sides. He yelped and jumped up, ticklish as he was and tried to free himself from the grasp of the evil person. He saw that it was Emma, Selphie's younger sister of seven years old. She looked just like Selphie, except from her hair which was much longer... and the goofy smile on Emma's face.

"What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

He noticed that his voice sounded way too high, so he tried to talk with a lower voice.

_Wow, what the hell is wrong with my voice?! I sound like I've eaten the contents of an ashtray, or something._

"I eh... used the door?" she answered with her sweet voice.

_Right, the door. Smart girl. Like I couldn't think of that, _he thought, while not trying to roll his eyes.

A short feeling of loathing coursed through him at the sweetness in Emma's voice. He squeezed his eyes shut for a short moment. Riku hated sweet voices, especially in the early mornings, since he was not a morning person. He decided to torture the person who had let Emma in this room. He was sure it was Julian's idea, since he loved to torment his younger brother.

"No, I mean, what are you doing here, in this room, with me?" he asked.

It was a fact that Riku was not that good with children. Everyone on the Islands knew that he had not the slightest clue how to handle them and he really hated the fact that they asked so many questions all the time. He didn't understand why they couldn't mind their own business, like normal people like him did and he also had no patience to explain them everything, if they would listen to him for once in their pathetic life. And since he did not really like Selphie, he thought that her sister would be just like her. He knew that every child hated him, so he did not even bother to do nice to them. Not that he had never tried, though. But it always ended up in a fight with those ungrateful brats.

"You've got to braid my hair, like you do every morning. Are you okay, Selphie? What's wrong with your voice? Do you have a cold?"

_Oh no, those questions are starting again. And why is she insulting me? Just because I do not like Selphie, doesn't mean she has to call me after her... She sounds like she really thinks that I'm Selphie._

"Wait a minute. I'm not the person that you think I a-"

He stopped when his eyes fell on the mirror, which was on the wardrobe in front of him. His aquamarine eyes were replaced with green eyes, Selphie's green eyes. So was the rest of his body. And his hair was much shorter... and darker. He pinched himself hard in his arm, to check whether he was dreaming or not. Unfortunately, it hurt when he did. That was definitely not a good sign...

The only thing he could think about now was that one, simple, four letter word.

_I guess this is not my lucky... year. At least now I know why I had such a high voice._

"Selphie, what are you doing? You're scaring me."

Riku watched the little girl. She did look scared. He sighed and tried to smile at her. When he looked in the mirror, he saw that he looked like he had toothache.

_Ai, got to work on that one too._

"Don't be scared, I was just... checking something. So, you want me to do your hair? Where's your hairbrush?"

Emma ran away. The sound that her feet produced, made him think of countless hammers banging on the wooden floor. It gave him an even bigger headache than before. What was even worse: he couldn't leave! He wouldn't know how. He didn't really need to know such things, since he had no little sister. Now what to do? Unbelievable how big the problems were that such small children brought with them.

_If I ever consider to have children, which seems very improbable to me, then I will let their mother do their hair, that's for sure._

"Here!"

She handed him the hairbrush and the braids she was holding in her hands. Then she sat on the floor and looked questioning at him. He positioned himself behind her, sitting on the bed and started to comb her long hair. The little girl watched in the mirror every movement he made curiously. It made him feel quite nervous.

"Selphie, are you ill?"

He looked in the mirror in front of him. Emma was still looking at him, now worried.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"Because you don't smile, you don't talk and when you answer my questions it sounds so blunt. You usually don't act like that."

_Oh no. She knows it. She knows I'm not Selphie._

"I'm sorry, Em. It's just that... I have a headache, that's all. You shouldn't worry that much about me."

"Oh... It's not your lucky week, is it?"

Riku smiled a little, thinking about everything that had happened to Selphie this week.

"Not really."

Now he had to make two braids. The question was, how?

"How about I'll do something new with your hair today? Something like... a very sweet ponytail? It's always good to have variety, right?" he asked hopefully.

A ponytail was pretty much the only thing he could. Emma thought about it for a short while.

"Okay, if you think that's a good idea!" she exclaimed happily.

Riku was relieved. At least one thing ended well today. What was Selphie doing right now? She was probably still sleep, not aware of the terrible thing that had happened to her.

* * *

**A/N: Jack, Zack, Jay, Julian... Gah, I couldn't think of any name for Riku's brother. I also didn't know that there was an American movie where a girl and a boy switch bodies... -_-' I should have known of course. Now my new challenge is to let this story be very different. So... what did you think? Was it Cliche? Surprising? Reviews would make my day much better. :)**


	6. 5 Cheerful people?

**A/N: Yay! At last, chapter 5 is up! :D I hope you like it. ^_^**

**A big thank you to: Night's Mirth, Turner Child, CattyGothLoli, Handwritten and SecretAgent99, my beta reader!**

**And kudos to everyone who's still reading this story! :)**

**Disclaimer: I hope you know by now that I DON'T own Kingdom Hearts...**

* * *

_"I'll put my hands anywhere I want and there's nothing you can do about it!"_

* * *

**5. Cheerful people?**

"Hmmm..."

Emma looked at herself in the mirror, her lips pursed. She turned her head in all directions to examine Riku's masterpiece. The guy said, 'He hoped that she would like it.'

He would have no idea what to do if she started to cry, scream, or yell at him. He realized that small children were sometimes like a time bomb. They were extremely dangerous. You never knew when the bomb would go off, but it would go off... eventually. It was just a matter of time. And some time bombs went off earlier than others, because there were many different processes that had influence on them and that made them go off. And if one of those time bombs finally went off, then you were in deep trouble. Not only with the bomb itself, but also with the two creators of the bomb, the parents of the child. So Riku had all reason to be scared of little children like Emma.

"You look eh... very cute now. Just as sweet and beautiful as a princess," Riku said, in an attempt to sound more like Selphie, who used to give everyone at least 5000 compliments a day.

This time, he really meant what he said though. This looked so much better than those two horrible braids she normally had. Who was the one who had told her that she looked lovely with those two braids? Probably Selphie. He sighed.

"Thanks, Selphie! You did a great job, again! I love you, I love you, I love you!"

She ran up to him and hugged him tightly, squeezing all the air out of his lungs.

_Whoa! What the heck?!_

Rather confused, Riku put his arms around her too. This was the first time that a girl hugged him like that, if he didn't count his mother... Wow, that was kinda sad, since he was almost seventeen years old!

_For a seven year old girl, she has a lot of strength._

"I eh... I love you t-"

"I'm so lucky to have you as my sister! Really! I wouldn't know what to do if I had a brother. Someone like... Riku for example."

Riku frowned by that statement.

_Gee, thanks a lot. After everything I've been through and after doing your hair, you say something like this?!_

Apparently, Emma thought that Riku agreed with her when he said nothing, so she continued.

"I mean, it's always fun with Sora, but Riku is just so... different from him. He's so aloof and uncaring and stoic."

_Now that's a nice thing to say_, Riku thought sarcastically. _Is that really what everyone thinks of me? Well, let me tell them all one thing: it could have been worse. I could have been like Selphie. I don't understand why Emma likes her that much._

"You know Em, it's not very nice of you to say such things about people," Riku started.

"But it's true!"

"Yes, but even if you think that it's true, then you shouldn't say it. How would you feel if Riku said those things about you?"

Riku knew that he had a point here.

"It wouldn't do anything to me, since he's acting like a grumpy old man. Nobody would believe him, so I shouldn't worry," Emma said smiling.

_Hmph, you little brat. It's a good thing that I don't hit little spoiled children, otherwise I would have-_

"I'm gonna go show mommy!" she cried.

Before Riku could even blink, she had left the room.

"Eh... okay... Where does she get all that energy so early in the morning?"

Looking at her made him feel more tired. How was he going to survive this nightmare all alone? This sure was going to be a loooong day.

He ignored that feeling, while he searched for some clothes to put on. He opened her wardrobe. Selphie had many clothes and everything was neatly folded and sorted in seasons, colors, and other factors.

But not for long. Did Selphie really have the time to do that? What was wrong with her? Did she have no life? He was more the type who usually left his clothes lying around in the room. When someone came to visit him, he quickly stuffed everything in his closet, hoping that the door remained closed and the clothes would not flow out of the wardrobe like some avalanche.

He knew that Sora sometimes did the very same thing. And that was when they both asked for their mother's help. One pleading look in their eyes was enough for them to put their mother to work, because their mothers could just not resist that puppy-look in the eyes of their son. They would sigh, and agree.

"But only this time, Riku. The next time you'll do it yourself."

Riku and Sora always promised solemnly, but the children knew as well as their mothers who had to clean their rooms next time. Riku had to admit that it was very useful in these difficult times to have a mother who was always ready to help you, no matter what would happen. Besides, heroes like him and Sora had no time to clean their rooms. Heroes were there to save the worlds.

One thing was very obvious here, Selphie loved the color yellow. He arched an eyebrow, when he saw her taste. Everything was so... girlish and not really what he called his style. How horrible! Why didn't Selphie have any normal clothes? Was he really supposed to wear all that? What would come next? Wearing make-up? Oh bugger. The thought alone made him panic enough.

After putting Selphie's clothes on - "Ugh! Now how am I even supposed to wear a dress! Unbelievable!" - and trying to smooth his new hair down to make it look more presentable, he decided to go downstairs and make his way to the kitchen to breakfast.

The first thing that caught his attention when he entered the kitchen was the lovely smell of breakfast; tea, eggs, toast and something he couldn't put his finger on.

"Good morning, sweetheart!" a woman said cheerfully.

Selphie's mother, Melody, had exactly the same color hair as Selphie. Her eyes were blue though.

"..."

He was not really in a mood to talk a lot today. He actually never was, so today was not an exception. He was so not a morning person, unlike Selphie and her family seemed to be. Seeing them being so cheerful made him feel more uncomfortable and grumpy.

Was there any reason for them to act so happy all the time? He wondered how they would feel if they knew that he was not their oh so happy-go-lucky daughter. The temptation to tell them the truth, only to make that grin on their face disappear for a while, was increasing.

He put it all aside with great difficulty. Crying people did not make him feel much better. He was not a harsh person; he just could not take it when people were so happy for no particular reason, while he was so down. That was why he hated celebrations such as Christmas, New Year, and birthdays.

"Well, aren't you just a little ray of morning sunshine?" a man said sarcastically, but amused.

Emma started to laugh. Riku recognized the man. It was Anton, Selphie's father. He had short, smooth, brown hair, green eyes and a bad habit of teasing everyone who was grumpy. When he laughed, his cheeks gave dimples. Riku glared at him, saying nothing at all, before he took a seat. His glance said enough already.

"Wow, if glares could kill people, then I would have dropped dead, that's for sure," the man said laughing.

_Yeah, it's such a pity that it doesn't work in real life._

Riku didn't say anything. He didn't have the energy for a nice little chat in the morning.

"Leave her alone, Anton. So, are you hungry?" Melody said.

"Starving," Riku said sarcastically.

He certainly was not going to give up his sarcasm. That was all he still had.

"Here. I've made eggs some eggs and sausages. Bon appetite."

"Thanks."

He knew that he did not sound as polite as Selphie always did, so he added "Mom" to his previous sentence.

He let his eyes wander through the kitchen randomly as he began to eat his eggs and toast. He had never been here before. The kitchen looked very cozy. The wooden table and cabinets gleamed in the sunlight, just like the black and white floor. Everything looked so clean. Unnaturally clean. Far too clean in his opinion. The clock said it was nine o'clock. He looked at the table again, searching for something. When he saw his empty cup, he then noticed what was missing.

"Where's the coffee?" he asked frowning.

Selphie's parents looked amazed at her.

"Coffee? But you never drink coffee, sweetheart. You told us yesterday that you would never drink it, because it has such a strange taste... Are you alright?" Anton noted.

_No coffee? That's just great. I should have known. She probably only drinks tea, or something lame like that. Oh, do they really have to take everything I need and want and love away from me?_

He almost snickered when he thought of what Selphie would say as what she thought would be a good excuse if she had heard what he had thought.

It would probably be something like, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with drinking tea! It's fun, healthy and eh... well, fun!"

"Eh, I know. I just thought that... maybe it's time to try something new. Variety is always good... right?"

"If you say so, honey," Melody said.

She got up to get her daughter some coffee. Riku was pretty sure that if he was going to stay in Selphie's body for a while - and he just knew that that was going to happen - then he really needed a lot of coffee to get through all this. Why was life so unfair for him? Was this his punishment for what he had done in another life?

He was not someone who believed in karma and all that stuff, but this had changed everything. Thinking of what would come next only made him more nervous. He preferred fighting in the darkness all alone than switching body and life with Selphie. Talking about Selphie, he had to find her as soon as possible. He could breakfast later. He got up, shoving the rest of his toast in his mouth.

"I'll be back as soon as possible," Riku managed to say, while running to the front door.

"Where are you-" Anton started.

Riku shut the door, not hearing him anymore.

"Going."

Anton looked at Melody.

"Don't you think she's acting a little... strange lately?" he asked his wife.

"Can't you see? That girl is terribly in love. That's why she's acting so strange lately!"

"Whoever the lucky guy may be, he'd better be a decent guy. I hope it's not that Riku-guy, because he's the strangest person I've ever met," Anton noted.

Melody decided not to tell her husband that it actually was Riku who Selphie had laid her eyes on. He just wouldn't understand.

* * *

In the mean time, Selphie was hurrying towards her own house. She hoped that she was in time. What if Riku told her parents everything? How could she face them then?

_What a mess, _she thought.

From very far, she spotted Riku, or actually Riku in her body, running towards her too, but he hadn't seen her yet. That was not new for her. He never saw her when she wanted him to see her, no matter how hard she tried to get his attention, it was always useless. It was quite strange, though... almost scary to see herself like this, approaching herself at full speed. What if they would stay like this forever? How could they possibly find a solution when they have no clue how all this happened in the first place? Selphie was so busy with her thoughts that she walked Riku over, who fell with a 'thud' on the hard ground.

"Hey! Look where you're - Selphie, there you are. I was looking for you," Riku said.

"I think you mean 'Riku' here, don't you think?"

Riku rolled his eyes. Selphie extended one hand to help him get up, but he did not take it. He got up by himself and did not see how her face fell.

_Why is it that I get the feeling that he hates me? Especially after what his brother said._

"We need to talk," he said.

"Give me my body back!" Selphie exclaimed.

"I beg your pardon?"

"You've heard me. I said, give me my body back! Now!"

She began to push him.

"Hey, stop it! It's not my fault. Actually, I'm quite sure that you've done something."

The two were too busy with arguing to notice that a lot of people were paying attention to them now.

"Like what?" she asked him defiantly.

"How am I supposed to know? Just tell me what you did yesterday and don't you dare to hide something for me!"

Selphie placed her hands on both of her sides, something that Riku **never** did.

"Why should I? It's none of your bloody business!"

Riku looked around. Everyone was looking strangely at them. They were all listening to their conversation.

"Don't put your hands there," Riku said softly.

"I'll put my hands anywhere I want and there's nothing you can do about it!" Selphie yelled infuriated.

This made them all laugh. Riku blushed and closed his eyes.

_The humiliation..._

* * *

**A/N: So, I hope you liked this chapter. I had fun writing this chapter. Constructive criticism is always welcome. It makes me improve my writing. :)**


	7. 6 New life, new rules

**A/N: Ha, I'm back again! Not that you care...so...um...yeah. Never mind. XD Here's the next chapter.**

**A big thank you to: always-kh, SeeD Selphie Tilmitt, Divinexs, Turner Child and SecretAgent99, my beta reader!**

**And kudos to everyone else who's (still) reading this story! :)**

**Disclaimer: Don't own them!**

* * *

_"Will you stop that at once, Selphie? Everyone's looking at us. They're probably thinking that we're both insane. And you know what, this time I can't really blame them."_

* * *

**6. New life, new rules**

Riku groaned inwardly, pressing the heels of his hands over his eyes, wondering in silence why in hell's name girls always had to make everything even more complicated. It wasn't just Selphie; he had noticed that Kairi always did the very same thing, always thinking that only she was right and the others were all wrong. It probably was "a girl-thing," or something. Poor Sora, he hadn't been exaggerating when he had told Riku the very same thing. Would this nightmare ever come to an end? Apparently not, for destiny had already proved that he wasn't that lucky. He grabbed Selphie's upper arm and pulled her with him towards the beach. If this wasn't going to work willingly, then he had to try it the other way: nilly.

An unprecedented sensation rushed through Selphie's body when Riku grabbed her upper arm. It was the same feeling you get when you were in an elevator that went up or down with incredible speed. It was at moments like this that she loved, but also hated that she was so in love with him. If he discovered this, then she would never dare to look him in the eye. His grip was getting tighter and tighter now. So tight that it almost started to hurt.

"Maybe a nice little walk will help you to cool off," he growled.

_Although I doubt that. I don't think anything will help her..._

When he was angry, he became even more aggressive. Selphie would soon learn that aggression and a bad mood were a deadly combination. Especially for someone like her.

"Hey, let go of me! Riku! What kind of a guy are you?! Seriously, this is not how you treat a lady."

_Tsss, a lady...she? Give him a break!_

She probably didn't know the definition of a lady, for she never acted like one.

She struggled to free herself from his grip, while trying not to hurt him, since everyone would think that _she_ was the one who got hurt by _Riku_. Gah, this was getting too complicated. Being in Riku's body had also its advances, though. His strength, for example.

She had almost succeeded, when Riku snarled with gritted teeth, "Will you stop that at once, Selphie? Everyone's looking at us. They're probably thinking that we're both insane. And you know what, this time I can't really blame them."

Selphie figured that she had no choice but listen to Riku. Maybe he knew what to do. She was glad that he was a lot smarter than Sora. At school it always seemed that Riku knew a solution to every problem, so maybe this one, too.

"W-what are you doing? Where are we going to?"

"To the beach."

"To the beach?" she repeated dumbfounded.

What in the world's name did he want to do at the beach at this time? Swimming?

"Yes, Selphie. We're going to the beach. I thought I already had told you that. Are you deaf or something? Now stop questioning everything I do."

He didn't even bother to turn around and look at her. Riku didn't know why he felt so uncomfortable and offended around her. It was almost as if she was hiding something.

"Why?"

"Because it's annoying!" he snarled at her, gripping her arm even more tightly.

"No, I mean, why are we going to the beach now? What's the point of that?"

"So nobody will disturb us," Riku replied bluntly.

"I don't want- Ooooh, do you have anything special in mind?" Selphie asked teasingly.

This question caused him to roll his eyes.

_What kind of a guy does she think that I am? The thought only is disgusting enough._

It took him a lot of effort to calm himself and not to punch her, or give her a rather insulting remark. In the end, he would only hurt himself, for the next step would be apologizing. He had never believed in things like karma, but thanks to the situation today he had started to hesitate.

"Just... shut up, okay?" he whispered.

_Before I change my mind and lose control._

"Why, am I annoying you?" she asked again, wondering why he made such a fuss about it.

Riku sighed. He rubbed the bridge of his nose with the thumb and forefinger of his free hand while he took a deep breath. He thought her sister had been annoying enough today, but now he finally understood who had taught the little girl to be so annoying.

"Obviously."

The word slipped from his mouth before he could do something about it and register what he had just said. He wasn't even sure whether she had heard his reply, or not. Right now, he didn't care much, though.

"Moron," Selphie whispered sulkily.

Okay, apparently, she had. The fact that she said such a word, quite surprised him.

_Why does he have to be so harsh all the time? Can't he see what his rude behavior is doing to me? Besides, it's not even my fault that all this happened...or so I think...and hope._

"I beg your pardon?"

"Nothing," Selphie replied casually.

She decided from that moment on not to let this day be ruined, just because of _him. _If he wanted to be picky, then she would do exactly the same. Maybe then he would finally understand how stupid he was acting toward her.

"Hmhmm..."

_Yeah, right._

Riku did not believe her at all.

"You know what, I just noticed that my hair looks like a bird's nest today. You could have done more, you know?" Selphie started.

Riku didn't give any sign that he was listening to her. For Selphie, this almost felt like it was another trick to make her feel miserable.

When he didn't answer, she added, "Well, at least you've found some clothes to put on. I'm glad about that."

Riku rolled his eyes. It was a habit he had recently gotten. She didn't struggle anymore and let herself be carried away by Riku, who also said nothing anymore. The silence became more and more unpleasant as time expired. This was in contrast with the beautiful weather and the cheerful singing of the birds. The weather would be nice today, just like every other day. A light breeze caressed the treetops and made them look as if they were bowing for both Selphie and Riku.

Selphie just knew that once they had arrived at the beach, Riku would immediately start shouting at her and blame her for this 'accident.' She wouldn't be silent, though. Just because she had a strong feeling for him, didn't mean that she would accept everything. That made her wonder if he knew anything about her feelings toward him. Maybe he knew everything already. Maybe his behavior was a silent sign of rejection. Maybe...

The train of thoughts was interrupted by another thought that suddenly popped into her head.

"Who did Emma's hair?"

"I did."

Of all the lies she had ever heard, this one was certainly one of the funniest for everyone on the Islands knew that Riku hated children. The only thing that he seemed to like about them, was the fact that he could torture them easier than grown-ups.

"You?" Selphie tried not to laugh.

"Yes, me. What's so funny?"

Everyone also knew about the "Santa-incident." Years ago, he had told Sora that Santa Claus didn't exist. Sora had become very depressed and didn't eat for weeks, once he had convinced him of this fact. Sora hadn't been the first child who had gone through all this.

"Then I guess it looks even worse than your - I mean _my_ hair does at this moment. Poor girl, what did she do to deserve this... Hey, I didn't know you could braid. Oh wait, Julian taught you of course."

"I can't and no he didn't. I made a ponytail."

"A ponytail," she sneered, "What do you think she is, a horse?"

Riku looked at her, a strange expression written down on his face.

"A horse... ponytail... horsetail? Got it?"

Riku sighed.

"Never mind. I should have known, one who can't laugh, also can't see the clue of a joke."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have a bad sense of humor? Because you really do," he replied, choosing to completely ignore her last comment.

"Well excuse me, Mister "I-Hope-You-Know-I-Hate-You-All!" At least I'm trying to make you feel some better. I can't say the same of you, though. All you've been doing since we got up is insulting and humiliating me. I guess that's a family thing, 'cause Julian did the very same not even an hour ago."

So she wanted to involve their families into this shit? Fine, then he would play this game along.

"What about your father? He's even worse. Have you ever noticed the sentences he calls a "joke?""

"Well, you know what they say, A little_ nonsense_ now and then is relished by the wisest men. Anyways, ponytails are sooo out of season. Why am I not surprised that you don't know that. I also couldn't find something normal in your closet to put on, after I got tackled by an avalanche of strange clothing items. Hasn't Emma noticed something strange about me?"

He didn't like to think back to her sister.

"Yeah, she thought I was ill."

"No wonder," she retorted.

The beach was deserted. The sun shone, there was a pleasant breeze and the trees danced gently in the wind. The scene was so peaceful, that it hurt Riku's eyes. He turned his attention back to the girl. He was astonished at the fact that she had done his hair so well, for he knew how impossible it was to handle his hair in the mornings. All that tossing and turning at night and worrying didn't help much, either. His hair now seemed almost more beautiful than it normally was. Riku's new hair looked like a bird's nest indeed. He had to admit that she had been right about that.

"Look," Riku began slowly, squeezing his eyes slightly against the sun. "I don't know how this happened, but we need to get normal as soon as possible."

_Whoa, he finally said something that made sense. It was about time._

"Well... however this happened, this sucks."

The statement summed up the situation very nicely.

"Any ideas?" she asked, when he didn't give any intention to speak.

"Unfortunately... I don't. I think we should tell Sor-"

"NO, you can't!" Selphie exclaimed.

He quirked an eyebrow.

"Why not?" he demanded.

"Because... you can't. Don't you understand?"

He quirked his other eyebrow as well.

"Right... because I can't. Such a good reason. I'm totally convinced."

Now it was Selphie's turn to blush from embarrassment.

"Okay, you want to be convinced? Fine! First of all, Riku, they wouldn't believe you at all and they will probably think that you've lost it completely. I mean, did they believe you when you told them about the earthquake?"

Riku looked away, not answering her. That said enough for Selphie.

"Yeah, I already thought so. And have you already thought about the humiliation? They will never forget this and they will do everything to always remind you of this incident. Besides, I think it will be over in a few days," Selphie continued angrily.

_...or weeks...or months..._

She didn't know.

"A few days?! Have you already thought about school? It will start in less than a week! What are we going to do then?"

Selphie sighed.

"Calm down, Riku. For your information, I know as much as you do about this."

"Then what do you want to do?"

"Well..."

Selphie thought about it for a while, a pensive expression written down on her face.

"I think it's the best if we act exactly like we're each other, so nobody will suspect us. Do you agree with me on this point?"

Riku nodded slowly.

"In the mean time I'll try to find some information about this in the library. You can find practically everything in books. I just-"

She shot a look at him and yelped shocked.

"Now what?!" he asked annoyed.

_Do I even want to know this? Can this day get any worse anyway?_

"Y-your face! Why haven't you used any make-up?! What if somebody sees me like this?"

Oh bugger. He and his big mouth. He sighed wearily, giving her a rather peeved look.

"Selphie, they already have seen you when you were arguing with me, remember? Please act your age for once in your life."

Selphie looked pale. Because of the shock, she didn't even hear his insult.

"We're going to do something about that right away!"

After this, she grabbed his arm and pulled him with her back to where he had come from, since there was no make-up in Riku's bedroom. He almost tripped over his own feet in this process.

"Hey!" Riku protested loudly, but Selphie had better things to do than listen to his rubbish.

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**A/N: How was this chapter? I admit, it wasn't my best chapter, but I had to come into the story I guess. Oh, and just in case you were all wondering, this story is NOT going to be a high-school fic. There might be some scenes at school (I'm not even sure about that, but if you agree with me that it's fun to see them fighting at school, then maybe I'll put that part in the story), but that's all. I'll try to update before Christmas 2010... ehm, I mean as soon as possible.**

**Have I already mentioned the review button? :) I did? Well, then you know what to do, right? :P They are very welcome and appreciated.**


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